Leslie leads Lehigh Township

Brandon Leslie strikes out 13 while the Brewers bang out 13 hits in 7-2 win in Game 1.

By Steve Smull

    BERLINSVILLE -- The Lehigh Township Brewers got their first win as a first-round playoff favorite thanks to a 13-strikeout, 4-hit gem by Brandon Leslie. Leslie struck out at least two batters in every inning but the fourth. His Brewers’ teammates smacked 13 hits to go up 1-0 in the series with a 7-2 win.

    Leslie got all the offense he would need when the Brewers struck for three runs in the second and four more in the third. Steve Unger led off the Brewers’ second with a single and promptly scored on Jeremy Bartha’s double to right-center. Bartha was cleared to play this morning after having 25 stitches removed from his leg and – unlike the current stock market – he paid an instant dividend, giving Lehigh Township a 1-0 lead. After a sacrifice, Bill Fatzinger chinked a double down the left-field line to make the score 2-0. Charlie Torres lined a two-out single to make it 3-0.

    Cetronia answered immediately in the top half of the third. Ryan Zimmerman lined a one-out single to right and Brian Polaha followed with a bloop single to center to put runners on the corners. After a strikeout and a Polaha stolen base, Chris Peters hit a dribbler to third for an infield hit and an RBI, and when the throw got away at first base, Polaha raced home to make the score 3-2. Leslie then got a “K” to strikeout the side to end the threat.

    The Brewers struck back in their half of the third. Steve Smull lined a single to right-center and immediately scored on Eric Schmitt’s double to the same gap. After a pair of flyouts, four consecutive two-out hits gave Lehigh Township some breathing room. Omar Torres doubled home courtesy runner Joe Bubba to make it 5-2. Fatzinger then lined a single to right to score Torres, Nick Bowen singled, and then Charlie Torres got his second RBI single in as many at-bats to give Lehigh Township a 7-2 lead.

    Both pitchers settled down from all the scoring in the third inning and pitched goose-eggs the rest of the way. Leslie allowed just one base-runner over the last four innings, while Brad Sechler allowed just three hits over his last three innings.

    Cetronia did not have one multiple-hit player, while Lehigh Township had five. Charlie Torres was 2-3 with two RBI, Fatzinger was 2-2 with two RBI, Smull was 2-4, Schmitt was 2-4 and Bowen was 2-3.

    Game 2 moves to the Cedar Brook complex at Cetronia on Sunday at 5:00, and if a third game is necessary, it will be back at Berlinsville on Tuesday at 5:45.